Things are getting hairy around here.
The American Medical Association chapter at the Wayne State University School of Medicine is hosting its first WSUSOM Mustache of the Year Competition in honor of November's Men's Health Awareness Month.
Students, staff and faculty are welcome to enter the competition beginning Nov. 1. The winner will be crowned at the end of the month, and forever immortalized on a plaque. They also will receive their choice of a beard trimmer, shaving kit or gift card.
Women may also participate and will be eligible for additional competitions and prizes throughout the month.
All proceeds will be donated to the winner's preferred men's health charity.
Winners are determined by the number of "votes" they receive. Each vote is a $1 submission via Venmo.com, an online platform for making and sharing payments. Voters also have the option of removing votes by donating $2. Be sure to mention your intention in the Venmo comment.
"We chose this cause because it aligned temporally with the month of November, and we've recently passed policy regarding women's health. AMA member and fellow M2 Anum Naseem advocated and successfully created policy on female reproductive rights in the hospital," said AMA Communications and Advocacy Chair Tammy Hsia, Class of 2020. "Thus, we were looking for a way to get involved with men's health as well. Men's health is often neglected because issues like mental health and prostate cancer are often silent."
To enter, email a clean-shaven portrait to Tammy Hsia at thsia@med.wayne.edu on Nov. 1 or later. Then, submit $5 to the WSU-AMA and include your name and "Movember Contestant" in the comment. Need a Venmo account? Contact Lauren Newhouse at lnewhous@med.wayne.edu
To stay in the competition, the mustached must submit a photo to thsia@med.wayne.edu every Monday in November. The photos will be publicly posted to the M.D. class Facebook pages for extra 'Monday Mustache' points. Contestants will also have the opportunity to earn additional points throughout the month.
"This event is open to everyone at the School of Medicine. We want as much participation as possible," Hsia said.
May the best mustache win.